HISTORIC
ALBEMARLE TOUR -Media

FOLLOW THE SIGNS TO THE HISTORIC ALBEMARLE REGIONNCDOT Completes New Road Signs Project for Heritage Trail

EDENTON,
NC - The North Carolina Department of
Transportation Highways Division recently completed installing
over 100 new Historic Albemarle Tour (HAT) signs along the
heritage trail's major thoroughfares in northeastern North
Carolina. The $75,000 project was specially funded through a
Statewide Contingency Project by the NC Board of Transportation
to upgrade and add mileage and directional signs in the
17-county northeastern North Carolina region that is home to the
Historic Albemarle Tour's member sites and towns.

The Historic Albemarle Tour is North Carolina's oldest
heritage trail. It was founded in 1975 to weave together the
diverse historical, cultural, and natural elements in the
northeast corner of the state from the Outer Banks to Interstate
95. The self-guided tour connects 32 historic sites and towns
that offer the traveler insight into the region's rich history.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation has worked
closely with HAT since 1975 to install and maintain the easily
identifiable brown signs along the major routes that connect HAT
sites. In recent years, however, the number of HAT sites has
dramatically increased. In addition, HAT signs were in need of a
uniformity that travelers could easily recognize.

The NCDOT project involved replacing old signs and adding
signs that pointed to new HAT sites and historic towns. The new
signs now identify HAT sites in brown with the HAT logo, as well
as non-HAT site towns in the familiar NCDOT green.

The project is 90% completed. Once construction on several
roadways in the region (such as US 64 from Plymouth to Manteo)
is completed, the rest of the signs will be installed. Major
highways on the Historic Albemarle Tour are US 64, US 264, US
158/168, NC 12, and US 17.

Founded in 1975, the Historic Albemarle Tour is a nonprofit
tourism promotion association comprised of 32 historic sites and
towns in the 17-county northeast North Carolina region and is
one of the country's oldest heritage trails. Visit all of the
HAT sites online and order a brochure ->
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